Springer receives top honor

Thursday

Jun 20, 2013 at 2:41 PM

FRISCO, Texas. — Nicholls State University junior javelin thrower Jaimee Springer was named the 2013 Southland Conference Outdoor Track and Field Student-Athlete of the Year the league announced on Thursday.The announcement was in conjunction with the release of the all-academic teams for cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field. Springer becomes the first student-athlete ever at Nicholls to earn the award. Along with Springer, sophomore runner Tessni Carruthers was an automatic selection to the all-academic team and was honored for her record-setting cross country season and individual title at the outdoor championships. Springer completed her best season at Nicholls earlier this month at the NCAA Championships.Springer became the second-ever Nicholls student-athlete to qualify for the national meet, capping her junior season with a 16th place finish at the NCAA championships. She earned her first individual Southland Conference title and third All-Southland honor by claiming the javelin crown and becoming the fourth Colonel to win the event in the last seven seasons. Springer won six individual titles during the season and finished no lower than second in any regular-season meet.The junior was also an automatic selection to the Southland Conference All-Academic team as well, earning that honor for the second time in her career.Carruthers finished fifth overall at the conference cross country championships and became the first All-Southland honoree since 2009. Also an LSWA All-Louisiana selection as well, Carruthers led Nicholls to two team and individual meet titles, earning the league’s cross country athlete of the week award in back-to-back weeks. She then moved over to the track and field season and won the 1500-meter title at the outdoor conference championships.